We live in a modern, busy society where everything is so quick that we almost have no time to focus on our most vital part, our breathing. Most of us "forget" how to breathe, which is essential to living well and being connected with our bodies. This can often disconnect us from ourselves. When we are disconnected, we start to feel an imbalance and we might hardly see the positive side of things in our lives. 

When the disconnection is present, we seem to forget that we are human beings with simple needs and wishes and if we do not find time to answer these matters, we end up feeling overwhelmed, and lost and our joy for life is fading. We start to search for pleasure in subjects that seem important which in reality are not as important as we think. Self-care is not only about caring for our physical needs. Self-care is caring for all our needs; physical, mental and emotional.

When we experience something impactful or less positive our body passes through different reactions that can put weight on us. Our body feels contracted, tight, and even unsettled. These are normal reactions as a result of our varied daily experiences. Our emotional body is under stress as well and can lose easily its balance. To avoid reaching this state, we should always prioritize self-care. For many, self-care is just taking their daily meals and hydration, and then they return to doing work, work and more work. 

Work is so beneficial for us to keep us functional, happy or active, but self-care is as important as work is. Self-care is taking the time to just be, to exist, and to be present. Start with your breath. Take time to work on your breathing. Breathe in… Breathe out… Ah… That is much better, is it not? You can also exercise with your breathing. Breathing exercises are beneficial for our composure. Once you start doing them you just want to continue, because you feel the benefits that they bring and you feel recharged.

Physical activity is also an important part of the self-care routine. Anything that keeps you on the move and activates your circulatory system should be a priority. Try to apply active movement to your life for a healthy body and well-being. Take daily nature walks or do forest bathing. The most recent studies in neuroscience discovered that when we take a forest walk for at least six hours there is an increase in the number of our healthy cells which improves our immune system function. The level of the same cells persists in our body for around three to four weeks and will sustain the immune system when our bodies are less strong.

Self-care means as well, taking the time to enjoy every small thing in your daily life, such as eating or drinking. A cup of warm tea or a warming drink that brings you comfort. We all should take pleasure in small things. They seem small, but they have a huge positive impact on our lives. When we consider all these, we are more focused and eager to continue with our daily tasks.
Self-care is our reminder that we are human beings with physiological needs and emotional well-being is key. We should always prioritize time for rest. Choose your rhythm and never forget how important it is to just breathe, be present and enjoy your life.

 Call a good friend and talk about your life experiences. Connect with the people with the same principles as you and to whom you feel connected. Listen closely when they share their life experiences with you and share your sincere advice if they ask for it. This can also be a form of self-care. When you care for others you care automatically for yourself, because you feel that you truly do something that matters to someone else with all your heart. Try as well to reserve time daily in your self-care routine for journaling. At grace and glory of nature, we call it mental self-care. Nothing is more relaxing or enjoyable than taking care of your mental health. When the mind is silenced our inner being finds easily its state of well-being. Our mind needs time to rest. Stay healthy and also take time for self-care. This is the number one priority that we should all have.